Recipe Brussels Sprouts, Mac & Cheese, and Havarti Mini-Frittatas

The Late Night Gourmet

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I posted a mini-frittata recipe previously that was meant to be healthy: no cheese! This comes together similarly, but is quite different.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon bacon grease
6 ounces Brussels Sprouts, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, diced
2 ounces ham, cut into cubes
1 cup macaroni and cheese
8 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons wheat flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly grated
2 ounces Havarti cheese, sliced thinly

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in a pan on medium heat. Add chopped sprouts to the pan and stir to coat. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes or until softened. Make an opening in the pan, and add remaining bacon grease. Add garlic and stir continuously for about a minute, then stir together with the sprouts.

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2. Stir in chopped ham pieces to ensure even distribution. Heat for a few minutes, until the ham gets slightly browned.

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3. Break up the macaroni and cheese if necessary, then add to the pan and stir in. Once thoroughly blended, scoop everything from the pan onto a small baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to cool the mixture.

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4. Whisk eggs together thoroughly with baking powder and flour in a large bowl. Once the mixture is cooled, blend with the egg mixture.

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NOTE: I do this to reduce the amount that the mini-frittatas stick, but I've found that they do still stick to the bottom somewhat no matter what I do.

5. Grease the compartments of a muffin pan, then dust with flour. Tap the excess flour from the compartments.

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6. Fill compartments, leaving a small amount at the top to allow room for the frittatas to rise. Add a bit of the Havarti slices to the top of each. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 minutes. Allow to rest for a few minutes, then remove from the pan.

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You had me at bacon grease.
Before I started stockpiling leftover grease, this recipe would probably have started with chopped bacon rendering in a pan as the first sentence of Step 1. Now, I will nearly always reach for the bacon grease instead of a bottle of oil. The calorie content is comparable, though the fat content isn't (which is another way of saying that the taste content isn't comparable...oil is generally neutral, while bacon grease definitely isn't). It's a price I'm willing to pay for a relatively small amount of added fat.
 
Do you keep the bacon drippings in the fridge or at room temperature?
I keep mine in the fridge. I don't strain mine, which a person should do as the little bits of bacon will turn after a while, because I go through bacon grease pretty quickly. It's as much a condiment as a cooking substance in my house. :)
 
I keep mine in the fridge. I don't strain mine, which a person should do as the little bits of bacon will turn after a while, because I go through bacon grease pretty quickly. It's as much a condiment as a cooking substance in my house. :)
I also keep mine in the fridge. I don't want to strain it because: 1) I think the little bits in the grease provide flavor, and 2) I'm lazy.
 
I had mine in the fridge, I see the daughter has thrown it out, said it was disgusting. She's leaving here in a few weeks so I'll,start it again then. Kids huh?
If someone threw out my bacon grease...I don't even know what I'd do to them (apart from immediately cooking a pound of bacon to get more grease).
 
If someone threw out my bacon grease...I don't even know what I'd do to them (apart from immediately cooking a pound of bacon to get more grease).

Fascinating how different the cooking culture is in the UK - I think we noted this elsewhere. Keeping bacon fat is just not something we do and most would see it as unhealthy saturated fat, I think. Most people wouldn't be cooking a lot of bacon anyway.
 
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